Realistic Rubik's Cube Costume

by designerd

126K8234

Intro: Realistic Rubik's Cube Costume

This costume aims to look more realistic by creating the illusion that it can twist. This illusion is achieved by the exaggerated clevis between the tiles. Although this subtle detail requires a lot of work, it goes a long way toward making the cube look more realistic. enjoy...

STEP 1: What You'll Need

- Black Duct Tape (Masking tape is ok, but isn't as strong. I don't recommend it)
- Utility Knife (Be Careful!)
- Cardboard Box Approx. 3ft Square
- More cardboard (3/4" thick may be rare, but it gives the best results. You can also use thinned cardboard for the tiles and then stack them up to make them thick [more work])
- Contact paper (White, Yellow, Green Blue, Red, Orange [do the nerds who will see you a favor and DO NOT substitute different colors]) 

STEP 2: Find a Box

1. Find a Box you can fit it

2. cut holes for your arms and head.

Now it's a party!

STEP 3: Find Another Box

I used  a different box (about the same size as the first one) made of 3/4" thick cardboard to use for the tiles

you'll need to calculate the size of you tiles based on the size of the base box you start with,

Plan to leave about 1" between tiles. Also, plan to have the edge/corner tiles hang over the edge by the amount of the thickness of your tiles. 

You'll need 44 tiles. 9 tiles x 5 sides (none on the bottom) - one full tile missing for the head hole. 

after I cut my tiles with a knife I cut off the corners with a band saw to "round" the edges (Optional)

STEP 4: Start Taping

1. I recommend Taping two tiles together, then taping them to the box. that way they look like two faces on a sub-cube. 

2. Same idea for the 'Corner pieces', tape 3 tiles together, then tape that 'partial cube' to the box. 

NOTE: You may want to make the hole big enough for your head, but then have the top tiles hinge down to fit around your neck so you don't have extra space all the time.

STEP 5: Coloring Time

1. cut out oversized squares of contact paper

2. attach them to the tiles

if you can, model the pattern from a real cube, you'll impress the nerds (only a true nerd will ask you if it is a solvable configuration).

NOTE: The configuration I made is not solvable (Lame! I know), I ran out of the correct colors. Next time...

then cut off the excess contact paper and marvel at your work

STEP 6: Win Best Costume

Have fun with your costume

let your friends try it on

use it as a coffee table until next Halloween!

32 Comments

mrcrap 6 years ago

follow me on instagram mr.pig_17

mkovacs1 12 years ago

Just letting you know, the final picture of where your using it as a table, the colors are off, If it was an actual puzzle, you wouldnt be able to solve it with out removing stickers!

designerd 12 years ago

Yeah, i know. I based in on a possible design but wasn't able to do it because I ran out of certain colors. It's a minor oversight that only the truly committed would notice. congrats.

RubixCubeFTW 12 years ago

THANK YOU. so excited to make this!!!! :D

RubixCubeFTW 12 years ago

Awesome idea! I'm TOTALLY using this for halloween. And thank you for making the instructions so easy and step-by-step.
My only question atm is the colorful tiles. Why do you have to cut them oversized? Did you add MORE tape once they were on the box?
I was wondering if it would work by just cutting the colorful 'squares' as big as the tiles are, and gluing them on. Wouldnt that be easier?

designerd 12 years ago

The size of the tiles is a little less than 1/3rd the length of the box. They are a little undersized so that there is a slight gap between each tile. This makes the cube look segmented (like a real Rubik's cube).

RubixCubeFTW 12 years ago

To make the squares look somewhat 'round', should I just cut up duck tape to fill in the corners?

designerd 12 years ago

Yeah, or you can tape the corner tiles together separate from taping them to the cube.

RubixCubeFTW 12 years ago

oh alright. That makes sense. But how did you make the corners of the squares look rounded?

mfinn3 13 years ago

Does this step come before the previous step? Please Reply!!

designerd 12 years ago

sorry it's taken me forever to respond :(

It is not very important whether you color the tiles first then attach them, or color them after they've been attached. I applied the colored contact paper after the tiles were attached because i wanted to model it after a realistic cube pattern, but wasn't organized enough to plan it ahead (this was a October 30th project)

hope that's helpful

mcontreras3 12 years ago

Awesome. imma gonna make this year for halloween.thanx

kt004 12 years ago

what was the measurement of your box and the tiles u had

donotreg 13 years ago

im going to try this but i have one question...
is the bottom ( the part where my feet stick out ) supposed to be cut off?

designerd 13 years ago

It's up to you. i cut the bottom off, it can make it a little easier to get it on.

Andrew Ryan 14 years ago

 Well I finished it.....like I said in my last comment I had a hard time finding me a box. But what I did was I took a VERY LARGE sofa box and cut it down to the exact size then taped them together. It worked out perfect and I finished just in enough time for Halloween.

heres a pic of me wearing the cube.

i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af261/Prankster369/IMG_0270.jpg

designerd 14 years ago

Wow, looks great. Excellent job. Glad to see people spreading the Rubik's cube love

Andrew Ryan 14 years ago

  I'm having a very hard time finding a good box to use......I love your costume....I have been solving the cube for 2 years so when Halloween came around everyone said "Hey Dude Be A Rubik's Cube". So thats when I started looking around on the net for ideas. I think yours is the best Ive seen. So like I said the only problem I'm having so far is the fact that I cant find a good square box that fits me.
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